The present invention relates to a removable foldable wheel support which, used in pairs and fixed to the rear of the boat, forms a device for putting the boat into water and hoisting it in. The device is especially useful for inflatable boats, but may be used for other purposes such as: transport of different sea craft and uses not related to sea craft.
Some known prior art removable wheel supports are removable rigid wheel supports in a single piece, which must be dismantled at sea and placed in the boat. Others are, hingedly fixed to the back board may be raised and fixed in an inoperative position, the supports being either substantially horizontal, the rearward wheel away from the back board, or vertical, the wheels being above the back board of the boat.
Others are telescopic, the wheel being raised and placed behind the back board by a movement both of horizontal rotation and of vertical translation.
These devices have certain disadvantages either because they comprise mechanical parts, rollers, and/or springs which are not readily compatible with sea water, or they must be dismantled at sea and placed in the boat where they take up space. The devices must be reassembled or handled for landing especially in the case of a heavy sea, wind or currents, or because mechanical elements project above the back board or take up space required for the big motors normally-mounted behind this board and form a hindrance for handling the boat.
Another disadvantage of some of these devices concerns positioning of the wheels in the operative position more particularly at sea before landing and for hauling in especially when the sea is high. Placing these wheels in the operative position is made difficult when inflatable tires are used, but such tires are, necessary because of their flexibility and, for transporting the boat onto the bank. However, immersion of the wheels comes up against the thrust of Archimedes and requires direct manual intervention forcing the buoyant tires down outside the boat.
This problem can only be solved by using wheels of a density greater than that of water, being heavy, hard and unsuitable for transport on land.